🔗 Share this article

2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Follows Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure updated staff about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the necessity for a clearer direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full message from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a sharper brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and background in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the progress of the game in the weeks to follow.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch states. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, risks, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an official release date or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as creation advances.